


new meetings lead to new beginnings

by BigEaterQueen



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: AU, F/M, Two Shot, divinity au, it's an AU based off of shinto mythology so tell me if you need clarification, mythology AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-07 06:40:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14075154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigEaterQueen/pseuds/BigEaterQueen
Summary: He knows the pain of uncaring, far better than the average human.She knows the weight of solitude, heavier than what a mere mortal has borne.Their meeting however ignites a spark of change. Whether it grows into a flame depends on them.(Shinto/Japanese Myth AU)





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, Hi, hi~
> 
> I've been working on this fic for ages now. It's just a simple two-shot but it's part of a bigger AU I'm working on. Do let me know if you don't understand anything~

Hungry… he was so hungry… Those damn humans had the gall to summon him for protection and cast him out when they didn’t need him anymore?? He stormed his way through the forest, on the alert for any prey. Nothing, not even a rabbit. The stupid birdbrains apparently didn’t want to come out of their little holes.

He turned his head around and looked back at the way he had come. He _could_ very well just turn around but… he sniffed the air to make sure. As he thought, there was nothing but the dead back there. He had already eaten every creature he could, even those that had contained the tiniest wisp of energy. He would have eaten those without energy as well, but they had fled quicker than he expected. He turned around and continued moving onwards.

\--

The forest looked denser than before. How long had he been walking…? An hour? A day? A week? That he did not know. He kept walking on, trying to maintain that aggressive gait of his but it was no use. His strength slipped away with every step he took. It appeared that his own energy wasn’t sufficient to keep him going. He could feel the eyes of the forest’s residents on him, following his every mood. Their stares grew harsher and hungrier; He could almost sense them eagerly waiting for the moment of his death.

A whirl of leaves blew up behind him and something landed on his back. He collapsed under its weight. He twisted as much as he could and snapped at whatever it was with all his might. The taste of blood filled his mouth and, in his heart, he smirked at hitting his mark. Whatever landed on him jumped off, howling all the while.

He didn’t think twice and fled. Run today so that one could live tomorrow after all. Before long, the last thing he remembered was tripping and collapsing into the ground.

\--

“I’m telling you its not safe to have that… that thing around!”

“I agree with Suzuran. We don’t know if it will try attacking you.”

“Sisters, its fine. I trust him.”

“But can you?”

He blinked slowly and stiffened his muscles. Where was he? He tried to spring to his feet but he was held firmly.

“Tomoyo-sama, Suzuran-sama, Souma-sama; it seems our visitor has awoken.”

He struggled a bit but he was able to twist his head around enough to see who was holding onto him. He saw a man dressed in what appeared to be priest garb. He turned his head in the direction his captive’s stern green eyes stared.

There were three young women sitting together. The one on the right had her hair tied up in two little buns and wore a kimono covered with a lily of the valley pattern. The one on the right was darker skinned than the other two and had her hair cut short. The one in the center though; something about her caught his attention the most.

She was dressed in a kimono covered with maple leaves of various shades.  Her long dark hair framed her face perfectly and lilac eyes shone brightly. By no means did he feel that she looked impressive, but she had… an air of sorts that made him feel relaxed.

He didn’t like it one bit.

“Are you alright?” She got up and walked towards him. As she came closer, it suddenly dawned on him that she radiated energy with every breath that she took.

He needed it.

Snarling, he broke free from his captor’s grip and ran towards her. She froze in her tracks. Good, that would make it easier for him. He leapt at her throat. A clear shot. Good.

 _“Earth, I summon thee!”_  

He found himself frozen in midair. Something had wrapped itself around his legs and back. When he tried to break free, he found it to be as hard as rock.

“Thank you, Kiyokazu, I’m fine. But could you let him down please?”

“But Tomoyo-sama-!”

“Tomoyo!”

All the other three people cried out in unison.

“Kiyokazu, please.” She said, ignoring the women behind her.

“…Yes.”

He found himself being lowered to the ground. However, his legs were still rooted in place. The miss knelt down and spoke to him gently.

“ _Inugami_ , are you alright?”

Her tone angered him and having her presence so close to him just made him hungrier and hungrier. He snapped and panted, fighting to break free from his constraints.

“Tomoyo, it’s no use.”

“I won’t believe that just yet Souma.” She turned her head around and spoke.

“But it clearly wants to consume your energy! Look at it, it’s clearly starving!”

“Like I was saying Suzuran… Wait.” She turned around so quickly, her hair went flying into a mess. “Kiyokazu, please get some of that manjuu we got earlier.”

“Yes Tomoyo-sama.” This rat tail, Kiyokazu’s, voice sounded very reluctant. He could hear the sound of footsteps moving away. He turned his attention back to the woman.

“He might take some time to get the food. Please just bear with your hunger until then.” She raised a hand and brought it close to his head. Irritated, he growled. Her hand hastily retreated.

“No matter how many times we scold you, you won’t listen to us will you?” He looked up to see the two other women peering over her shoulders and glaring at him suspiciously. He raised the hair on his back and growled at them. They both retreated a good distance away. Heh.

The clatter of sandals reached his ears and the smell of fresh manjuu reached his nose. Instinctively, his mouth began to water.

“Here, Tomoyo-sama.” Rat tail handed her a plate filled with manjuu and stood cautiously by her.

“Thank you.” She smiled and placed the plate in front of him.

He sniffed the plate eagerly and discovered that the food even had energy within it! But…

“Is something wrong?”

He glared up at her.

“If you release the constraints I can eat.” He grumbled aloud. 

“It talks?!?” The women cried out. He could sense rat tail stiffen behind him. The woman in front of him didn’t move, though she looked surprised. Her expression vanished no sooner than it appeared.

“Let him go Kiyokazu.”

“Tomoyo-sama, that’s not a wise decision!”

“Please, Kiyokazu.”

Rat tail grumbled something about how stubborn this ‘Tomoyo-sama’ was but he complied with her request. His bonds weakened their grip and he shook himself vigorously. As he shook himself, he pushed his energy outwards and changed form.

He clenched his hands a couple of times, making sure that they were fine and swiftly snatched the plate. He shoved the manjuu into his mouth and gulped them down. He felt energy filling him with every bite. When he finished the last one, he licked the few crumbs on his fingers and turned his glare to all the others staring at him.

“These manjuu taste awful. Do any of you even know how to make good food?”

 “Did you just say my manjuu were bad?!?!” The girl with the lily-of-the-valley yelled at him.

“We’re starting from there?!”

“Tomoyo-sama, I believe this creature is more dangerous than we suspected. If you would allow me…” He pulled what looked like a charm out of his sleeve.

“Oh, shut it.” He scowled. “I’m not hungry, why should I bother attacking this oh so great ‘ _Tomoyo-sama_ ’ of yours?”

“How dare you display such insolence-”

“Yeah yeah, whatever.”

“Check if he has any malicious intent Fujimoto. That should make things clear.” The short-haired woman spoke and cautiously approached, the other woman right behind her. Rat tail silently closed his eyes.

He could feel the energy of the surroundings change slightly but no sooner had he sensed it than the strange feeling slipped away.

“The inugami holds no malicious intent towards anyone in the room.”

As soon as rat tail said it, the everyone’s guards dropped a little.

“And how would you know that?”

“I am but a priest who has dedicated his life to serving Tomoyo-sama.”

“Why the heck would you spend your life serving _that_?” he jabbed a finger in this Tomoyo’s direction.

“Such insolence!” the priest spluttered.

“Yeah, I can see why.” He turned his head towards Tomoyo, her mouth still open in mild shock.

“You… You have a human form…” she stammered.

“Yeah, thanks for noticing.” Wow, he was on a roll today. It’d been a while since he had spoken so his throat felt a little sore, but it felt… almost nice. Nice to be able to say what he really thought at last.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be taken so aback…” she bowed her head and apologized. She looked like she wanted to say more but the sound of bells jangling stopped her. The suspicious women glanced at each other worriedly and turned to Tomoyo.

“Tomoyo, are you sure you will be fine?”

“Yes Souma.” They all got to their feet.

“Send us a message if you ever need our help, or just more manjuu.” This woman shot a glare at him. Tomoyo laughed a little nervously.

“I will Suzuran.”

“Well then, we’ll come again.” Souma spoke and they bowed to each other. The two of them walked out of the room and vanished in a flash of light. Tomoyo sat down in front of him again.

“I apologize for my sisters’ rudeness.” She sighed and bowed her head. “They’re just looking out for me. I wish they had stayed here longer so that they could understand things better but the carriage had come to pick them up.”

He silently stared at her. _How was someone supposed to react to such a heartfelt apology?_ No way he was thinking that. The truth was, he had a feeling if he said what he really wanted to say this time, that stick in the mud priest wouldn’t hesitate to burn him to a crisp.

“Say, inugami… what’s your name?”

He squinted at her suspiciously.

“Well, calling you inugami all the time feels strange. Unless that’s your actual name of course.”

“It’s’ whatever you want.” He finally grumbled.

“Then… Your fur was pitch black and your eyes are as sharp as steel… So, Kurogane?” She smiled eagerly at him.

“Like I said, its’ whatever you want.” He shrugged and got to his feet. “I’m leaving. Since I’m not welcome here, I might as well leave.”

He walked towards the exit. Rat tail moved to immobilize him but he shot such a fierce glare at him that _he_ froze in place. As he walked out he found himself standing in front of a spring with a small waterfall.

He looked to the left. He looked to the right. He looked straight ahead.

“Where the hell is the exit?!” Whirling around, he yelled. Seeing Tomoyo’s and rat tail’s amused faces made him even more mad.

“Don’t laugh dammit!” his voice barked out. Rat tail coughed and composed himself but the brat- her name was one he decided to omit from memory at this point- she was clearly struggling to hold back her smile.

“Pardon me, I forgot to show you the exit. Please, come this way.” She turned around and slid open a door on the opposite end of the room, revealing the inside of a house.

He reluctantly stared at her back as she stepped out of the room.

“Don’t worry, no harm will befall you in this house.” She turned her head just enough that he could see her smile. “The fact that you are in it already is proof of that.”

Shrugging, he followed her, not unreluctantly. Rat tail shut the door and walked close behind him.

“How did those two leave if the exit is this way?”

“Didn’t they say it? Their carriage finds it easier to pick them up from there.”

“That doesn’t explain anything!”

“Well, the normal entrance is this way though.”

 They quickly made their way to the entrance hall. She slid open what appeared to be the main door and hopped onto a path outside, her sandals clacking so loudly, he half expected its straps to snap. She began to walk faster, and he picked up the pace as well; they were walking so fast that he barely registered the presence of small, stone lamps standing outside the door.

Before long, they were rushing into a small cave. A blinding light filled his vision and he shut his eyes instinctively.

He snapped his eyes open and found himself somewhere completely different.

He looked around and found rat tail and the brat standing nearby as well. The three of them were standing in a small courtyard surrounded by greenery. There was an old wall that looked like it was far too short to keep anything surrounding them and buildings scattered around, almost like…

He turned to see what was behind him and sure enough, there was a shrine standing there.

“You’re a god?! Since when???”

The brat looked like she wanted to laugh badly but was holding herself back. Rat tail on the other hand looked unimpressed.

“If you go out that way, you can leave.” He pointed at a _torii_ gate a little ahead.

Just beyond that stood a barrier. If he squinted past _that_ , he could see a lush green forest. Freedom! He felt it in his gut.

“Well then, I’m outta here!” He began moving towards the torii.

“Kurogane!” He halted and turned, only to see her gazing at him intently. “Take care.”  Her face broke into a small smile.

That was all she said.

He turned away from her and walked away. Once he was deep enough in the forest he murmured to himself.

“Kurogane huh…? I guess it’s not half bad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation notes:
> 
> inugami: Literally, dog god. In the context of this AU, it's a being who is summoned by a human family who gives it offerings in exchange for protection.
> 
> Manjuu: Japanese steamed, sweet buns
> 
> torii: A big, red, gate placed at the entrance of a shinto temple grounds


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurogane returns to the temple on a visit, discovering more about it's inhabitants than ever before this time.

Kurogane wandered through the forest of the hill comfortably. He knew exactly where he was and where to go. It was strange how a few years of coming and going made him like this place as much as he did. He didn’t even have to sniff his way around anymore!

He transformed once he felt the crackle of the barrier on his fur and walked the rest of the long, long, path. At the end, there she sat.

Tomoyo was sitting on the top of the stairs leading to her temple. Her hair was pinned back in a neat bun and she wore a light green _yukata_ with darker green flowers patterned on it. She was resting her chin in her hands and looking up at the sky; her mind very clearly wandering. Her eyes flicked down and her purple met his red. Her face immediately broke into smile, making him feel less tired instantly.

“Kurogane!” She dashed down the stairs. “Welcome back!”

“Yeah.” He felt himself smiling slightly despite himself.

“It’s been what, two years this time? Tell me about where you’ve been this time!” She grabbed his hand and dragged him up.

At the top of the stairs, there was yet another familiar face.

“I thought I felt something slipped through the barrier. It appears that I was right.”

“Good to see you again. Did your tail grow longer?”

“Like I’ve said before; don’t call me rat tail!” Fujimoto shot back out of habit. Sure enough, his hair had grown even longer than the last time.

“But I didn’t!” And sure enough, he hadn’t. He smirked.

“Don’t bully Fujimoto-san!” Kurogane blinked and looked down. A girl with light brown eyes and long hair glared up at him, her cheeks puffed.

“Huh??” His eyes narrowed. Had he seen this girl on his last visit…? Or even the one before last…?

“I said don’t bully Fujimoto-san you… you THUG!”

“HAH?!”

“Eek!”

\--

“I’m really, really sorry.” The girl -Hanato Kobato she said her name was- bowed low as they sat around a table. “I truly had no idea that you were a friend of Fujimoto-san.”

“Ah, it’s fine.” Kurogane waved a hand awkwardly.

“Don’t worry about it Kobato-san, you said nothing wrong.”

“Fujimoto-san; that won’t do! You must treasure your friends!”

“…” He looked at her disbelievingly but Kobato paid no attention to him.

“So… why is she still here?” Kurogane mumbled to Tomoyo beside him.

“Well…”

“I felt that I had to make up for my rudeness, so I took the liberty of using the kitchen!”

He jumped a bit. This girl had sharp ears!

“Well then, I’ll go get the food.” She rushed out of the room.

“She’s a good girl Kiyokazu~” Tomoyo’s smile was half hidden behind her hand.

“I know that.” He grumbled and turned his face away. Kurogane looked back and forth between the two, the gears in his head slowly clicking together.

“Rat tail. You and that kid-”

“No.”

Tomoyo tugged at his sleeve and whispered not-so-softly to him. “He’s just embarrassed to admit that he lik-”

“Tomoyo-sama, PLEASE!” Fujimoto turned beet red and Tomoyo grinned from ear to ear at his reaction. Kurogane just let out a low whistle of astonishment. In the six years since he first had arrived at the temple, he had seen Fujimoto struggle with extremely devout pilgrims, learnt that he was (shockingly) not good at making riceballs and discovered that he was good at dealing with kids (despite not being particularly fond of them). But this? This was a first.

“Oh, I’m not interrupting, am I?” Kobato poked her head through the partly open sliding door.

“No. Not in the least.” Fujimoto coughed and straightened himself.

“Thank goodness, I didn’t want to hold you back from talking to Benzaiten-sama.” She pushed the door open completely and brought in a pot of rice, some miso soup and some steaming hot fish on a tray. She laid out everything on the table.

“Please accept this offering Benzaiten-sama.” She pressed her palms together in prayer and bowed at one serving that had nobody sitting at it.. This was weird. After all, Tomoyo was right next to him… He shot a quizzical look- or at least, tried to; at her. She wasn’t looking at him, but she was still wearing her smile.

Only, something about it felt… off. And the way Kobato referred to her…

Tomoyo suddenly seemed to notice his gaze and she smiled at him; her face immediately returning to normal, making him wonder if he had been just imagining it.

They ate dinner together with Kobato keeping the chatter going but Tomoyo never spoke a word.

\--

Kurogane lay himself out on the temple quarters’ roof, willing the food in his stomach to digest. As it turned out, that brat made too much fish and none of them had the heart to stop her from serving more.

After they were done, Fujimoto excused himself in order to see her off and Tomoyo went to see _them_ off. He for one, was more than ready to work off the stuffed feeling in his belly. The problem was, he just felt as though he was going to roll around, he couldn’t even nap comfortably!

Finally, with great difficulty he dragged himself up to the roof, like some kitsune he had once seen at an _Inari_ temple. At last, he settled into a comfortable position and shut his eyes.

“For someone who’s actually a dog, you behave quite a bit like a cat.”

He opened an eye and sure enough, Tomoyo was bending above him. Despite the moon casting a shadow on her face, he could still see that twinkle in her eyes, betraying her extreme amusement.

“Should you even be up here?” He shut his eye again. “Rat tail will freak out again.”

“It’s fine.” Judging by the sound he heard and the slight vibration he felt under him, Tomoyo had sat down beside him. “He’s taking her down to the village. It’s not safe for her to go all that way alone.”

“And it’s safe for him to leave you alone here?”

“You’re here right?”

“You would trust someone who openly tried to kill you?”

“You’ve changed. You’re not the same person you were back then.”

He snorted a little. As silly as it sounded, she was right. He was not quite the bloodthirsty inugami that he was six years ago. Somehow, he had found himself returning to the temple over and over and that had softened him up. Every time he left, he solemnly swore not to return but he ended up breaking those oaths each time. This place was too warm, too welcoming, and Tomoyo always had a smile, no matter who she spoke to… Wait.

“Oh yeah, what about the brat?” He sat up and looked at her

“Hm? You mean Kobato chan?” Neither her voice nor expression changed as she continued to look up at the sky.

“Yeah. What’s up with her?”

“I was telling you earlier right?” She turned her face to him. “She’s the girl Kiyokazu likes.”

“Yeah I got that. That’s not what I’m asking.”

“What are you asking then?” One eyebrow raised mischievously. Or it would have been that way if she was a second slower.

“You know what I’m asking.” He levelled a stare at her, but she stared back at him silently. It was as though she was daring him to say it instead.

Finally, he broke the silence. “She can’t sense you.”

“You really did say it.” She sighed. “You’re not quite correct.”

He listened silently.

“She can sense me a little, but she can’t _see_ me so to speak.

“And that’s bothering you.”

“Well… not quite.”

“Explain.” So there was something more to her behavior?

But Tomoyo remained silent.

“Don’t think silence is good enough to make me stop asking.” He grumbled.

“I didn’t-” She took a deep breath and continued. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just can’t find the right words…”

“The Goddess of speech, unable to let the words flow? As if. Just speak. You’ll work it out.” He gave her a reassuring nod.

Tomoyo nodded back and began to speak. “Kobato chan… She is like a reminder. A reminder of the time before Kiyokazu came along.”

She swallowed and for the first time since he had met her, her face looked strained.

“Before Kiyokazu, I had spent centuries without a priest or miko who could see me. I can remember there being a time when almost every generation.” Her mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “Heh. I don’t even remember those days clearly. But before he came, I remember locking myself up in my shrine and only coming out during festivals. The only company I had were my sisters; in fact, I probably spent more time at their temples than my own.”

Kurogane knit his brows. He couldn’t imagine this overly cheerful goddess locking herself away from the world. Furthermore, she didn’t stay here? At this place he couldn’t imagine without her around…? It felt as though she was talking about a stranger.

“Don’t worry.” She touched his shoulder gently. “It’s all fine now. Kiyokazu changed it all.” Smiling reassuringly, she continued with her story. He felt his heart twisting slightly for a moment.

“I had just been forced back home by Souma insisting I shouldn’t neglect my home - she was always the most responsible you see – and I took a detour through the forest. Suddenly, I heard yells. I got worried that the inhabitants were attacking some innocent pilgrim and ran in that direction. There, I found a sight I had never dreamed of.”

She laughed at the memory.

“I saw a young boy playing with a _kitsune_ elder. I was shocked, I hadn’t seen her in decades! And this little boy was trying to catch her, squealing in excitement. I just froze where I stood until she noticed me. I still remember it as clear as the night sky is.” His eyes flicked up and sure enough, he could spot every star twinkling away.

“We greeted each other and Sayaka-san - that’s her name, explained that this child was mine. She handed him over to me and disappeared into the woods, leaving me very confused.”

“And that’s when he imprinted onto you like a chick wasn’t it.” Kurogane grumbled, unable to hold his tongue.

“Actually… The opposite happened.”

“Huh?”

“Mmhm. He hated me so much for chasing away his friend and threatened me with divine punishment _‘From Benzaiten-sama herself!’_ ” She spoke through chuckles. Despite the twisting growing stronger, Kurogane couldn’t hold back a smile at the sight of her amused face.

“And then?”

“And then, I burst into laughter. Obviously, that didn’t help my case with him. I somehow convinced him to walk up to the temple with me in the end though. Once we reached the top, he could tell something was wrong by the way nobody could see me. But oh the expression I glimpsed on his face when I disappeared into the shrine…” Her chuckles escalated into poorly held back giggles.

He smiled and yet, felt that twisting even stronger in his heart and proceeded to mentally scold himself for not feeling glad that she felt better. Slowly her laughter died down and faded to a small smile.

“But it’s hard. He’s so happy with her and I can’t wish them happiness from the bottom of my heart… I suppose I’ve failed as a goddess…” Her eyes looked unusually watery; almost as though drops of it would fall- Oh no.

Kurogane had absolutely no idea what to do. Slaughtering his enemies? He could do that in his sleep. Massacre an army? They’d be an appetizer for breakfast. But comfort a sad goddess – no, a girl? How was he equipped to handle this?? If he were a spirit of the forest or heck; a freaking _human,_ he might know what to do but he was just an inugami. He could only reciprocate what others had given him.

An idea clicked in his head and he immediately acted on it.

His hand hesitatingly placed itself on her head and gently began rubbing the top of her dark locks.

“Kurogane?” Tomoyo looked up at him, her purple eyes staring right at him in confusion.

“It’s… it’s okay, rat tail won’t leave you! He’ll always be there to take care of you!” He could feel his ears burn a little. What _was_ he doing??

“But that’s the problem.” Her eyes were downcast. Did he say something wrong? She got up and looked at him sadly.

“Kiyokazu is but a human. One day, he’ll definitely leave.”

Then, everything clicked together. She was afraid of being alone, even though it was inevitable. That brat was just a constant reminder of that. A shout cut through his thoughts.

“Tomoyo-sama! Come down from the roof, it’s too dangerous up there!”

They both turned their heads in the same direction and sure enough, Fujimoto stood there, clearly worried.

“I’m coming~!” Tomoyo shouted back. She turned around, ready to climb down the roof but before she did, she stood still.

“Hey Kurogane?”

“Huh?”

“Promise me that you won’t tell Kiyokazu a word. Okay?”

“…Yeah.”

“Thanks.”

And with a smile, she climbed down the roof and hopped over to Fujimoto. Kurogane was left staring at her smiling and talking with him, as though she hadn’t confessed her greatest worry mere moments ago.

\--

“Well you look like you’ve barely slept.”

“Hah?!” Kurogane growled at Fujimoto from his seat on the torii stairs. He just got a huff in response. Fujimoto was well used to his mannerisms by now.

“Don’t ‘hah?!’ me. Those dark circles make you look like a tanuki. Not to mention you look grouchier than usual.”

“What’s it matter to you?” Kurogane turned his head away, a scowl on his face.

“It matters because I’ve had five devotees today alone come crying to me about a ruffian on the stairs. And this is the seventh day I’m getting these complaints!”

Kurogane stared on resolutely, refusing to respond. Fujimoto sighed and sat down next to him.

“Kobato-san is scared for you, you know?” A snort. “And Tomoyo-sama would be worried out of her mind if she knew.”

“Not my fault she has to prepare for the summer festival.” He grumbled back.

“I’m not blaming you Kurogane. I just wanted to know if anything was bothering you.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” He muttered. He could feel Fujimoto’s stare boring into him. He half expected him to make a guess as to why he was in this state but to his surprise, nothing of the sort happened.

“Kurogane.”

“Hnngh?”

“I’m worried about Tomoyo-sama.”

“That’s nothing new.”

“…I would refute you but that’s actually quite true.” And it was. Fujimoto always worried over something or the other; Had Tomoyo-sama slipped into the forest again? Was she properly sitting in her shrine and preparing for the festival? Was she on the roof again? For a goddess who was portrayed as incredibly elegant and dignified, she actually had a very mischievous side.

“But this is something different.” His tone was so serious, Kurogane turned to face him. “I’m getting old.”

Kurogane burst into hysterical laughter that could only come from a sleep-deprived person. Fujimoto, old? He hadn’t even lived a third of _his_ life! The whole time, Fujimoto watched him in silence. He only spoke when he had calmed down at last.

“I’m not joking Kurogane. It may be funny to an immortal like you, but by human standards, I’m getting older every day.”

Kurogane became serious as well. It seemed that this was not the time to joke around.

“I never imagined that I’d find someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with before. Nor did I imagine becoming a priest here even before that. I’m living my life out as a human. And someday-” He took a deep breath, his face twisted in pain. “-someday my life will end as well.”

Kurogane immediately recollected Tomoyo’s sad face from that night on the roof.

 

_“Kiyokazu is but a human. One day, he’ll definitely leave.”_

 

So Fujimoto and she were both worried about the same thing?

“You don’t want to leave her alone?”

“Perceptive of you. Kurogane. Did she- no, never mind.” He shook his head. “You’re right, I don’t want her to be alone. That’s why I have a request for you.”

“Me? What can I do that you can’t? Other than making riceballs.” A small grin formed on his face.

“We do not talk about the riceballs.” He pushed his glasses up and ignored the grin. “Jokes aside, you’ll live a long time. And that’s what my request focuses on.”

Fujimoto stood and moved so that he was in front of Kurogane. In one swift movement, he bowed to him. Kurogane nearly jumped back in surprise.

“Even after I… I pass away, please keep visiting the temple. Don’t let Tomoyo-sama be alone.” His voice trembled slightly and Kurogane noticed his fists were clenched so tightly, his knuckles had begun to go white.

“That’s something you don’t have to ask. I’d do it anyway.” He would. There was no way he’d stop coming to this place.

Fujimoto raised his head, gratitude written all over his face. He looked like he wanted to say more but a shout from the temple forced him to swallow his words.

“I’ll get going. Thank you for hearing me out Kurogane.” He walked up the steps.

“Guess I’ll help.” He began to follow.

“You, are going to bed.”

“The heck, it’s broad daylight!”

“And you look no less like a Tanuki.”

“Oi rat tail-” Kurogane grumbled.

“And Tomoyo-sama would be sad if you were sleepy through tomorrow’s festival, so off to bed with you.” Fujimoto made a shooing gesture.

“Don’t treat me like a dog.” He grumbled back but still decided to comply.

“But you are a dog, aren’t you?”

“It’s a wolf dammit.” Kurogane snorted in amusement and walked to the room where he always slept.

\--

Kurogane stared into the mass of people walking around the grounds. Was a festival supposed to be like this? He certainly had no idea, being chained by seals nearly all your life doesn’t quite let you have exposure to such things. As he fanned himself with a small handheld fan, he noted in surprise at how many people and stalls could fit into the grounds. Speaking of stalls, the aroma of a nearby meat bun store wafted over. Sure enough, his stomach growled.

“Ah, Kurogane-san?”

He looked up and his annoyed stare was met with a small ‘eek’.

“Oh it’s you brat.”

“My name isn’t brat, its Kobato!” She puffed up her cheeks a little.

“Yeah, yeah.” He began to walk away. He definitely wasn’t in the mood to deal with her and he wanted to see the _mikoshi_ return… Why was this place arranged like a maze for god’s sake?

“Um… Kurogane-san?” He could hear the clatter of her wooden sandals right behind him. “Could it be you want to see the mikoshi?”

“No.”

“Ah, so that means yes! Fujimoto-san told me you might be too shy to say what you actually want to do. I clearly understand what he meant!”

“Oi, I said-” He whirled around to refute her but her sparkling eyes froze the words before they even reached his tongue. “…Never mind.” He turned around again.

“Kurogane-san, Kurogane-san.”

“What??” He finally snapped.

“The mikoshi is that way.” She pointed off in another direction. He sighed in annoyance and followed her.

And it turned out that it was a good thing. They were just in time to see the procession carrying the portable shrine enter the grounds.

It wasn’t very grand, just a simple yet elegant palanquin shape, smaller than the average human. Not even a child could fit into the interior. There was cheering all around from the spectators, shopkeepers forgot their stores in the rush to see the palanquin of the goddess arrive. The procession halted at the top step of the main temple and lowered it beside Fujimoto, decked in complete priest garb with the _kamon_ -the crest, of the temple, a purplish white crescent moon, stitched onto it.

Kurogane could make out a small figure alighting from the mikoshi, growing larger and larger until he could see Tomoyo dressed in full splendor, with her hair tied up and the kamon embroidered onto her kimono. Seeing her like that, it was hard to see her just as the young woman who had saved instead and easier to believe that she was a goddess. The crowd fell silent, not because they could see her, but in anticipation for Fujimoto’s words.

She raised her hands as though she were cupping water, glowing silver like the moon. He could sense the energy building up within them. She finally blew at them, scattering flecks of silver light across the courtyard. She nodded at Fujimoto who proceeded to declare the festival open.

Remembering that he had company with him, he turned to the brat and nearly stepped back.

“Geh.” He muttered. The brat stood, jaw wide open in a smile and eyes sparkling brightly.

“Fujimoto-san looked so cool.” She spoke to herself.

“Haven’t you seen him during the past years?” If she hadn’t, he would be surprised.

“Yes, but every year, he looks more dignified and wonderful!”

Before he could say anything in response, she whirled around with full energy. God, he would swear on his nature that he could _literally_ see sparkles shimmering around her.

“I’m going to greet Fujimoto-san! Are you coming Kurogane-san?”

“I’ll stay here.” He still didn’t know what he would do if he went along with her. Even if he did go, what would he say to _Her_? After she had confessed her feelings that night, she had gone into her shrine to prepare for the festival. Now, a week later, he still had no idea what to tell her. He figured it was easier to stay away for the time being.

“Okay. I’ll be going then~!” She bowed and disappeared into the crowd.

He sighed, a feeling of being relieved of babysitting settling over him. He began to explore the stalls at his own pace. He found the meat bun stall from earlier and proceeded to buy about half the stock. Pleased with himself, he ignored the babble of the dumbstruck store owner behind him as he walked away.

As he walked through the rows of stalls, all the while munching his meat buns, he took in his surroundings with rapt attention. Squeals of attention caught his ears and he turned to spot a group of children and young teens alike squatting around… something. He made his way over to them and peered over their heads. They held little handles with flimsy nets attached to them and kept diving them into a tub of water for some reason. As he observed them closely, he spotted some small, golden colour fishes swimming around in the water. Several nets touched them and fell apart, making the children holding them cry out in despair. A few however were successful in catching them and the man running the store transferred the fish into a pot which the winners excitedly carried to show their waiting families.

A children’s game huh? He waved off the owner’s calls to play it absent-mindedly and walked away.

Maybe she might like playing it…? No, no, that was silly. But the idea of her excited face when she’d get a fish popped into his head and he groaned. Who was he kidding, she _would LOVE_ playing this game.

To distract himself, he wolfed down the remaining meat buns and surveyed his surroundings again. This time, the stalls were populated by youngsters and adults… were those couples swarming around the place? He rolled his eyes and decided to make his way out of the area when the smell of incense hit his nose. Mildly curious as to what kind of store would burn incense, he followed the scent, bumping past some couples until he was standing in front of a… women’s accessory store?

That was the only way he could describe the place, what with its wide array of hairpieces, pouches and obi clips. The metal accessories glinted, and the cloth pouches shimmered under the light of a paper lantern hung above them. There, at the back of the display were the incense sticks he had smelled.

“Can I help ya kid?” (Kid? Really…?) A man spoke up from behind the table. He was quite elderly, with a scruffy white beard and equally scruffy hair pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck. But his reddish eyes shone with youthful vigor. “I got trinkets from all over.” He talked with a thick accent; was he from Kansai? And ugh, he stunk of booze.

“No, it’s good.” Kurogane was about to walk away when one of the hairpieces caught his eye. The more he looked at it, the surer he was that it would fit her perfectly.

“That one eh? Alright, pay up.” He grinned and swiftly wrapped it in a cloth and stretched out a hand for the money. Kurogane glared back at him before handing over the last of his money. Some things… may be worth buying.

“Thanks old man.” He turned around and as he glanced down at the package in his hands, somehow, he knew what it was he could do… what he _wanted to do_.

 He was about to walk away when he heard a female voice murmur _“Mission accomplished”_ behind him. He snapped his head around but there was no sign of the shop behind him. He would have questioned the situation further but the sounds of other stalls closing up for the day reminded him that it was late. And so, he stuffed the package into his obi and rushed back to the main temple.

He finally stopped bent over at the temple’s main door, panting heavily. Thankfully he’d run into the brat who told him where they were. But that maze of stalls had not made the run back any shorter. He swore that he’d fix that next year.

“Kurogane, what’s wrong?!” He felt her hands; _Tomoyo’s_ hands on his shoulders.

“Kurogane?” That must be Fujimoto’s hand on his back.

He recovered his breath, straightened himself and looked right into Tomoyo’s confused eyes. When was it that he began to want to keep her company? He didn’t know the answer to that. But he knew how he felt now.

“Tomoyo.” He spoke seriously, not breaking eye contact.

“Y-yes!”  She squeaked out. Why was she so jumpy all of a sudden? He pushed irrelevant thoughts to the back of his mind.

“I want to stay here.”

“But… you are?” Her head tilted in confusion. She didn’t get it?

“No, I mean I want to stay _here._ By your side.” He insisted.

“If… if you’re worried about-” she cast a glance to behind him. “- what I told you about that night, its alright. I’ll be fine.”

“No-” He tried to elaborate further but she cut him off.

“Besides, you’ve yet to call a place home right? I would prefer if you chose to stay at such a place instead of rashly deciding like this-”

He could feel a blood vessel pulsing on the side of his head with every word she spoke. How could she be so damn dense?? Finally, he snapped.

“I ALREADY THINK OF THIS TEMPLE AS HOME DAMMIT!” He yelled at her. He grabbed the package and smacked it into her hands. “IF I DIDN’T CARE WOULD I EVEN COME BACK?? I SAID I WANT TO BE WITH YOU AND THAT’S THAT!” He huffed and crossed his arms.

Tomoyo blinked as though she was slowly understanding what he had yelled. She looked down at the little package -which by now had become slightly loose- and back up at him. Her eyes welled up.

“O-oi, don’t cry!” Kurogane, now calmed down after his outburst, was at a loss for words.

“It’s fine isn’t it Tomoyo-sama?” They both looked at Fujimoto. “I can conduct the ceremony of binding if you both so wish.”

They looked back at each other.

“What’re you talking about?” Kurogane asked him. Fujimoto merely gestured to Tomoyo. He faced her again. She was now wiping away the excess water from her eyes.

“Kurogane.” As she stared into his eyes, he wondered if he had sounded half this serious earlier. “Would you choose to be bound to me as the guardian of my temple, my _komainu_?” She stretched her right palm out towards him. Instinctively, he knew exactly what to do.

“Yeah.” He brought his hand to hers with a grin. Her face broke into smile as well.

“Very well, I shall oversee the ceremony at dawn.” Fujimoto bowed. “The ceremony shall take place in the prayer hall of the temple.”

\--

Kurogane stepped out of the spring and shook himself, only to remember he wasn’t in his wolf form. He grabbed the towel and clothes that Fujimoto had laid out for him and proceeded to wear them. Before long, he was wearing a simple black and red hakama. He pushed back his spiky hair as far as it would go and stepped inside. It was the same room he had first woken up in when Tomoyo had rescued him. He remembered through all the hostility, she was the only one who had shown him kindness, given him a name even. He half wondered how her sisters would react to learning that he was to be bound to her.

This time though, there were no suspicious sisters. Just Fujimoto waiting for him patiently.

“Shall we go?”

“Yeah.”

He let himself be led out of the little spiritual realm and was guided to the temple’s prayer hall. He sat cross legged on the floor as Fujimoto went to bring Tomoyo. While he waited, he idly stared at the lamp lit statue of the goddess Benzaiten. He couldn’t understand how Tomoyo was the same as She, they looked nothing alike each other!

The doors opening slowly broke his musing apart. He got up to greet her but his breath was taken away.

Through the door, he could see signs of dawn on the sky framing her figure. She wore a deep purple kimono with a white obi and shawl slipped through her arms. Around her shoulders sat a wrap of the same shade of purple embroidered above both arms with the lilac crescent moon, clasped at the front with a round mirror. Her long bangs, usually untouched, were wrapped with light purple ribbons, only the tips of her hair left free. And on the top of her head…

“You’re actually wearing that?” He finally managed to say.

“Why wouldn’t I?” She responded with a smile.

He had no answer.

The hair on top of her hair was done in such a way it resembled how he has seen some foreigners tie their ribbons fancily, (something they called a ‘bow’?) and holding it all together was the hairpiece he gave her. The round clip shone bright gold as it sat in the center and extending from it were long, curved rods with light purple tassels attached to them.

She strode to the center of the room. “Shall we begin?”

Kurogane and Fujimoto both nodded in agreement.

Fujimoto clapped his hands together and muttering a chant, pressed his palms to the ground. A barrier rose up around the two of them, meant to protect them from any outside interference. The magic circle he used shone from beneath their feet, acting as further protection. Tomoyo raised her arms and her hands began to shine with a silver light.

Kurogane dropped onto one knee.

“Doest thou, Kurogane, promise to protect this temple and She who resides within from any who may do Her harm?” As she spoke in that ancient pattern of speech, she brought her palms together so that the light shone directly upon him.

“Yes. I promise it on my past, present, and future.” Fujimoto had coached him on what to say earlier and the words flowed smoothly off his tongue.

“Doest thou swear to enact the wishes of She who is formally to be the master of thou?”

“I swear it on this life of mine that I shall obey the words of thine, O Benzaiten.” He lowered his head.

Tomoyo smiled and nodded. She began to move her hands in a circular motion, forming characters out of silver light. “Then take this symbol of She, as a tool to exact Her command upon the world.”

The characters twisted and solidified into the form of a beautiful katana. Its blade was as clear as a mirror and the hilt was shaped like a dragon’s neck up. Kurogane slowly took it in his hands.

“Name thine tool.” She smiled down at him.

He studied the sword. Even though he had never used one, he had a feeling that this was a blade that he would be capable of wielding. A name befitting it…

“Ginryuu.” He looked up at her and she nodded in approval.

“Thou hast chosen the name of silver dragon for thine tool. She approves. Stand Kurogane.”

He obeyed her words and realized that even though he was taller than her, there was doubt who held more power between the two of them.

She reached out and cupped his face with her cool hands.

“Thou art no longer a mere inugami. From henceforth, thou is the komainu, destined to protect Her as long as She desires.” She pulled him down so that their heights were closer together and touched her forehead to his. He closed his eyes, lost in the moment

Within himself, he felt something changing. A burst of energy ran through him and he felt himself, for the first time since he had been first summoned all those years ago… at peace.

When he opened his eyes again, the barrier and magic circle were fading away and their foreheads were still touching. They looked into each other’s eyes and as one, they smiled.

They reluctantly pulled themselves apart and turned to see Fujimoto bowing deeply.

“I welcome you to the service of the temple, komainu Kurogane.” As he rose up, Kurogane saw him smiling as well.

The three of them walked towards the open door and Fujimoto excused himself to take care of his duties, leaving the two of them looking at the temple grounds, the forest and the now pinkish-orange sky behind it all.

And it was in that moment that they both knew that it didn’t matter if a human who could see her or if a time when he had nowhere to wander to never came along; They had each other for eternity and beyond after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Benzaiten: Goddess of everything that flows; water, speech, music and by extension, knowledge
> 
> miko: priestess
> 
> Kitsune: Fox spirit
> 
> Mikoshi: A small, portable shrine, it's carried around town on the first day of the summer festival
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this fic, I hope you enjoyed it ^^


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